Ben Sulayem vows F1 won't put drivers 'at risk' as Qatar and Abu Dhabi deadline looms

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has defended the wait for clarity over how this year's Formula 1 season will end amid uncertainty over the Middle East security situation, telling the Associated Press at Monza that drivers and team staff will not be put "at risk."

The mid-September deadline set by F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali to decide whether the final rounds in the Middle East can be held is now days away, making this the most consequential calendar decision of the 2026 season.

Ben Sulayem told the AP it remains "business as usual. We are not changing anything unless we have to," and said he is in regular communication with Domenicali. The F1 season is still scheduled to end with the Qatar Grand Prix on November 29 and the season finale in Abu Dhabi on December 6, but a replacement finale at the Imola circuit in Italy is widely considered the likeliest option.

Ben Sulayem, who is from the United Arab Emirates, acknowledged the personal significance of the situation but left no doubt about his priorities.

He added: "Being from that part of the world, we can't jump the gun and just say, that's it, we are canceling and then cancel." Ben Sulayem also noted that "for the time being, there is no emergency" in deciding a calendar for the 2027 season.

Domenicali first confirmed the mid-September deadline in late July, telling reporters at the time: "We will take the maximum time for us to see how the situation will develop, and we will take the decision at the right time." Iran has previously targeted Qatar and the UAE as part of its response to U.S. airstrikes, and F1 called off the other two Middle East rounds earlier in the season, in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The Bahrain Grand Prix was rescheduled in Malaysia for October 4.

The FIA-sanctioned World Endurance Championship has already scrapped its planned Middle East races entirely, replacing them with rounds in Barcelona and Monza to close out its season in October and November. Domenicali acknowledged at the time that the WEC had announced it "will not go at the end of the year in the Middle East and they will stay in Europe."

If both Qatar and Abu Dhabi are dropped, the 2026 season would shrink from 23 to 21 rounds. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli currently holds a 66-point advantage over Mercedes teammate George Russell after 13 of 23 scheduled rounds. If the season does end at Imola, Antonelli's quest to become F1's youngest champion could conclude just down the road from his home city of Bologna.